Not long ago, the British start-up Bellwether Industries (hereinafter referred to as Bellwether) completed the test flight of the prototype of the all-electric electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft in Dubai, and recently announced the flight details.
The all-electric electric VTOL aircraft is Bellwether’s “flying car” designed for intra-city commuting. It can not only free up space for cyclists and walkers on the ground and relieve traffic congestion, but also can be used for similar Uber. on-demand shipping services.
The company said, “We believe that commuting in the air will be inevitable in the next 10 years.”
It is reported that the all-electric electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft can reach the flight speed of 25 miles per hour at an altitude of 13 feet, and the higher the altitude, The faster it goes, it reaches 135 miles per hour as it reaches 3,000 feet.
Additionally, the vehicle has an “invisible” propulsion system with ducted fans and no helical blades or wingspan visible from the outside.
Bellwether claims the car is the world’s first vehicle without a large wingspan or exposed blades, making it ideal for urban driving.
During the test flight, Bellwether also demonstrated the stability and controllability of the all-electric electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft in flight.
Currently, Bellwether only has two seats on the all-electric electric VTOL aircraft, but its ultimate vision is to develop a “flying car” with four to five seats to meet the travel needs of the entire family.
The company said the all-electric electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft will be charged at a dedicated site on the ground and will need to be supported by a well-developed infrastructure and transportation system to prevent it from falling out of the sky when the power runs out.
Bellwether has not disclosed the specific amount of the price of the all-electric electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
”Our goal is to make owning an all-electric electric VTOL as easy as owning a car, no bigger or more expensive than a car,” Bellwether said.
Bellwether plans to have an all-electric electric VTOL ready and test by 2023 A full-scale prototype of the take-off and landing aircraft. The prototype could be used for on-demand transportation by 2028 and privately owned by 2030. This means that in the future, humans can fly to work and enjoy a luxury version of commuting.
A Bellwether spokesperson said: “We wanted to create private urban aircraft that would allow anyone to fly from anywhere, anytime, and our all-electric electric VTOL prototype has flown smoothly, proving that Our efforts in innovation and technology.”
According to Morgan Stanley, an international financial services company, the all-electric electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft industry could reach a scale of US$2.9 trillion by 2040 in a highly optimistic market environment.
In addition to private flying vehicles, other companies are working to create a fleet of commercial air fleets to transport paying customers in need, just like taxis and car-sharing.
At the 2020 International Consumer Electronics Show, South Korean automaker Hyundai released its “flying taxi plan” and jointly demonstrated a “flying car” model with Uber, which will be provided by Uber in the future. Air ride-hailing service.
The “flying car” can carry four passengers and fly at a speed of 180 miles per hour. What’s more, the vehicle can be charged in minutes, but Hyundai has not detailed how or how it will be charged.
It is reported that Hyundai will be the first to launch a “flying taxi” for cargo in 2026 and install an autonomous driving system for it. Next, Hyundai plans to launch electric “flying taxis” in cities in 2028, which can flexibly carry passengers in densely populated areas and help reduce congestion on city streets.
General Motors is also very optimistic about the “flying car” market. At CES 2020, the company showed off a flying version of the Cadillac capable of carrying passengers over cities with full self-driving capabilities.
This “flying car” is pure electric, equipped with a 90-kilowatt motor and GMUltium battery pack, and has four rotors, which can take off and land vertically.
In addition, General Motors is also preparing to build a parking pad on top of the high-rise buildings in the city to provide a place for its “flying car” to take off and land.
Speaking of the “flying car” business, Pamela Fletcher, vice president of GM’s global electric vehicle program, said, “I think flying cars are still a long way off, and 2030 may be the real thing. Commercial inflection point because this is a brand new field and there is still a lot of work to be done on the regulatory level as well as on the technology side.”
It is worth mentioning that Volocopter, a German flying car company, also tested an air taxi for the first time not long ago, and said that it hopes to provide services such as personnel transportation at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Soon, the new mode of transportation “flying cars” may really be realized and popularized in cities.
More importantly, the booming “flying car” business will also stimulate the high-quality development of the upstream and downstream technology industries, effectively promote breakthroughs and innovations in the fields of power batteries, new lightweight materials and intelligent driving, and then bring a new round of Technological revolution and industrial change.
